The Philadelphia 76ers are entering an important summer as their decisions in this offseason will determine how good they can be next year.

The franchise is hoping to attract a marquee free agent such as LeBron James or Paul George.

But the recent firing of Bryan Colangelo could affect their chances of landing either player.

The lack of a general manager at this important period could prove to be a problem for the Sixers but head coach Brett Brown has been given the role on an interim basis and he's prepared to have more of an influence in terms of personnel.

He's already indicated that he will be taking an "aggressive" approach in free agency. One of his biggest priorities will be to re-sign J.J. Redick as his one-year contract with the Sixers is coming to an end.

The 33-year-old enjoyed his time in Philly and has admitted that he wants to return to the franchise next season.

That feeling is mutual and Brown is desperate to work with the shooting guard again.

“I love coaching JJ Redick. I really hope I can coach him again," he said, per Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

"I think the city and certainly his teammates understand what he brings to the table. Everyone gets the benefits that Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons have when they play with somebody like that. I really hope I can coach him again.”

Career year

After arriving from the Los Angeles Clippers on a one-year, $23 million deal, Redick enjoyed his most productive campaign in the league.

He posted a career-high 17.1 points, as well as a career-high 2.8 made three-pointers per game to go along with 2.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists.

The veteran described his 12th year in the league as his favourite and is keen to return under the right circumstances.

“I don’t want to offend any of the other places I’ve been or teams I’ve been on, but this was probably my favorite year of my career,” Redick said.

“Playing in Philly is its own experience and our fans, the city, the buzz about sports and about this team was amazing. I think I said this on media day: ‘the first time I’ll ever play in a real sports town.’ And it definitely lived up to those thoughts. It was awesome to play in Philly.”

The 76ers will be hoping that he'll take a pay cut but they're unsure of what the market is for him and what other teams may be willing to offer.

CLICK HERE to listen to Episode Two of the new GiveMeSport NBA podcast, featuring New York Times senior writer Marc Stein. Subscribe for all future episodes.